Black Rose (Draco Malfoy)

Comfort

Chapter 52: Comfort

The attended the Quidditch match between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff on Saturday. I got Lizzie to join me, but Emily insisted she had better things to do with her time. Everything was going well until McLaggen grabbed a beater's bat and pelted Harry with a bludger, cracking his skull. Harry ended up in the hospital wing. Later, Ginny told me she and Dean had a fight because Dean found the incident funny.

Harry and Ron both left the hospital wing on Monday. My relationship with both of them continued to be alright. We were not best friends, but I was not fighting with them. A week later, however, Harry went back to getting on my nerves. I think he missed it.

I was walking along the hall on the 7th floor where the Room of Requirement was concealed when I bumped into nothing. Except, when I looked again, it wasn't nothing; it was Harry's head. I blinked several times but then realized he must have been hiding under his cloak of invisibility. "What are you doing?" I said.

"Try to get into the Room of Requirement," Harry said. "And trying not to get caught."

I frowned. "By who?"

"Crabbe and Goyle."

Uh oh. This could not be good. "I'm going to regret asking this, but where do you want to go in the Room of Requirement?" I asked warily.

"I don't know," Harry said. "Malfoy's been doing something in there, and I want to find out what it is."

I tried not to roll my eyes. Really, I should have known. "Ok, one, there's no way to get in there if you don't know what he's doing, and two, it's none of your business what he's doing. Why can't you just leave him alone? This obsession is not healthy."

Harry shot me a look. "I have to find out what he's doing. I can't let him hurt someone if I can help it." His expression suddenly turned thoughtful. "Hey, maybe the door would open for you. You want to see Malfoy – I mean, Draco – don't you? Perhaps the room will like you."

I frowned at the suggestion. Did he really think I would help him? "I'm sorry, but I don't think it will open for me."

Harry blinked. "Why not?"

"I don't really want it," I said. "I don't want you to find him, so it won't work for me. Even if it would, I would never help you with this. Now, excuse me; we're going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

I left Harry standing there gaping at me. Several moments later, however, he called out, "Right, you've got to go suck up to Snape!"

My eyes widened, and I spun around on my feet. "You know nothing!" I said, glaring at him. I did not wait around for his response.

***

I managed to survive another month with my new life. I had become used to how things were, but I was still slightly on my guard in case yet another incident decided to disrupt my life. Then my mind began to remind me that, even if stable, my life was not what I had wanted. If something did not change soon, only misery could ensue.

One night during my private lesson with Snape, I was absentmindedly stirring my cauldron. Even potions seemed to have lost its luster.

"Is there something on your mind?" Snape asked casually.

I looked up and blinked. "No. I mean, I'm just thinking how things could have been different, even though I know I can't change them, you know?"

It took a moment for Snape to respond, but then he said slowly, "Yes. I know exactly what you mean."

I looked down at the table I was sitting at, frowning. "Maybe it's silly, but I wonder what would have happened if I had been placed in Slytherin. The hat had considered it. Maybe if I had asked it..."